Condenser



R. N. EHRHART.

CONDENSER.

APPUCATION FILED 0on1. 1917.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

. ATTORNEYS.

STATES E N'T DFFIC- E.

daapeaw onm F N YL N A amm WEST- *INGHOUSE'ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING 00.,A C0R15ORATI0N or PENNsYLvANIA.

' CONDENSER.

S peeifleation of lfletters i'atent. Patented F b 14 --'App'Iicati'on11166, Otdber 1, 1917. Serial No. 194,177.

To all whom it ma cbhbe'm:

Be it known that *I-, RAYMOND N. Em:-

' HA RT, a citizen 0f the United States, and a to prwemtenaensaarma-droppin from upper and onto 1o vere6o1ing tubes ofthe nest, andinwhich this is 'aceoxnplis'hed with- 'oiit rendering any of-the tubeseffective as steam jconde'ns'ing agents and without restricting thepassage-0f the fluid to be (5011- densed through th'efn es't. 4 I

A further object is to produce a condenser and system of baflles"therefor in which the steam is directed through "the nest of tubes inpaths of natural how and in whieh the "bafll'esare so arranged 'asitocause water of 'condensa tion to pass through a 'zone'of incoming steamin "its "travel toward the condens'ate olftak'e port.

These and other objects "are 'attained by means of apparatus embodyingthe features herein describedand illustrated in the drawingsaccompanying and forming a part hereof. x x I I, I

In the drawings 1 Fig. 1 is a "diagrannnatie sectional yiew of arad'iali'fiow eondenserand iiiusaaas are app aaa a unwise er an steampaths thrbngh "are nest of tribes J of the condenser.

Fig. 2 isa diagrammatic sectiijnalyiewof a condensereinbddying myinventive,

Fig. 3 is a corresponding viewofairiodifi r y" fi i tinn a Condensersare frequen ly preview y'vith names "for diieaiag the steam to be "conHens-ea through are of tubesfand "for so disposing *of the eendensate asto preyent condensate from ripper itlibe's of the nest from droppingbate lower tubesgqr the nest and thereby detrimentally affecting theefficiency of the lower tubes. Such baflles are generally so arrangedthat the steam is forced to follow a circuitous path through the nest oftubes and in addition to this, thearr'angement of the'baflle's is oftensuch as to restrict the path 'of 'flow to thereby 'oeca sionadetriinentalpressuredrop between the inlet to the condenser and the'celdest :portion 'of'the f'ne'st oftu'bes.

'My invention contemplates a condenser and a system of bafiles bywhichsteam'deliv- "ered to the condenser is so directed through the tubes andtoward an air offtake, located within the nest of ftubes,fthat all thesteam is effectively and "efficiently condensed withbut 'occas'ion'ing"an fobjectionable drop in pressure between the inlet to the condenserand the point of air ofitake within the nest 'of tubes. "In addition'tothis, baflles arearranged to so dispose of the condensate as to preventit from droppingonto lower tubes of the condenser.

I In Fig. '1, Ihave illustrated diagrammatically aradial flow condenser.The nest of tubes 12 is substantially surrounded by a steam ipace 13whigh communicates with '"the eondenser inlet 14. The "air ofl'take 151s so arranged that its inlet is located well withinthe nest of tubes,as for example, at th'egc'en ter of the met 12. The steam to becondens'ed enters the nest of tubes jfrom -p ii1ts around the nest andflows inwardly ito'ward' the point of complete condensation,

forvtoward ,theair ofltake port. The arrows in g, '3 "illustrate thegeneral direction of steam fldwfthrough the nest of tubes 12,

Fig. {-2, I have illustrated anfembodinrent of my pre sent'inyention inwhich the air "ofltake port is located substantially centrally withinthenest of tubesand in which the bafiies radiate from'theair offtake port"the sameftimefare so arranged as to protect awyer "tubjes of the nestfrom condensate Jdrdppi'ng from tubes located above them. The shell 16of the condenser illustrated Fig. 2 is substantially cylindrical. 'andisprbyided with an inlet port '17 located abev a subsitantiallycylindricalnest of tnbes 18, which is enclosed within the shell. As'ill'ustrat'edthe nest of tubes 18 is eccentric'a'lly "located with'rel'ation to thecylindrical shell 16 and is so arranged as to provide a steam space,whichentirely surrounds the nest, but which diminishes incross-sectional area toward the bottom of the shell, or toward acondensate well 19 with which the shell is provided.

As shown, the steam space 'issubstan tially crescent shape, with the'widestportion communicating with the inlet 17 and the horns extendingtoward the condensate well 19.

first having been subjected to sufficient cooling surface to becondensed.

The paths of normal steam. condenser illustrated in Fig. 2 aresubstantially radial and consequently by providing substantially radialbattles the normal path of steam flow is not sufiiciently afi'ected bythe bafiles to obstruct the flow or to lengthen the pathof flow throughthe nest;

In Fig. 2, I haveshown sixbaflleswhich extend inwardly from theperiphery of the nest of tubes. ,The upper baffles 20 and 20 areinclined downwardly toward the interior'ot the nest and are so arrangedthat they deliver the condensate, collected by them, onto 'bafiles 20and 20 respectively. These last mentioned bailles are inclineddownwardly from the interior-to the periphery of the nest of tubes. Anintermediate baffle 20 is located between the baffles 20 and 20 and asimilar baflie 2O islocated between the baillesQO and 20 Both thesebafiles are inclined downwardly so as to discharge condensate collectedby them into the steam space. With the arrangement described, thebaffles radiate from a point adjacent to the inlet of an air ofi'take 21with which the condenser isJprovided andsubstantially all of thecondensate collected by the bafiles is delivered intothe steam space 18so that it must travel through incoming steam in its passage. to thecondensate well 19. The condensate well is, of course, provided withacondensate discharge port, and the air offtake 521 communicates with orex tends through an air offtake port formed in the shell 16 of thecondensen,

Under some conditions the velocity of the incoming steam may vary thepaths of flow through thenest ofcooling tubes within the condenser. Forexample, the .steamenteri-ng the condenser may have. sufiicient velocityto cause a large portion .of the steam to pass directly downward intothe nest of tubes insteadof being equally distributed around the nest oftubes. here this is encountered it is desirable toflocate the inlet to.the air ofi'take somewl'iat "below the center ofthe nestof tubesandtoso'arrange The tubes of the nest are so lo cated that the steam spacewhile substan so arranged that the condensate collected V the up perbaiiles is delivered onto the lower batlles and-is discharged by thesebafiies into the steam space surrounding the nest of tubes. .VVith theexception of the bailles; I have indicatedgthe diiferent elementsof thecondenser shown in Fig. 3 by, the samenu'meralsas those employed in Fig.2, but I have distinguishedthe numeralsqofFig. 3, by means ofa-primemark.

two embodiments of my invention,-, it will be. apparent to those skilledin the art that various changes, modifications, additions and-omissionsmay -be'-made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from thespirit and scope of, my invention, as set forth by the appended .claims.

, lVhatI elaimjis:

. 1. A condenser including, arrest of tubes,

an airofftake. port locatedwell within the nest of tubes,and. bafilesradiating substantially fromthe air ofitake port,

NVhile I have described and illustrated but 2. Ina condenser, a shell, anest of tubes i therein spaced awayfromthe shell, a noncondensable fluidofitake extending into said .nest oi: tubes, and bafiles radiating.through the nest of tubes from apoint near the noncondensable fluidoiftake. a

. 3-1m a condenser, a shell, a nestiof tubes and upperfand lower.bafiles within the nest of tubes .and arranged to direct the steam alongpaths corresponding to the natural path or steam flow, each upper bafilehaving itslower edge. arranged vertically above the surface of a lowerbaffle so that the latter. receives ,condensate from the upper battle.

4. In a condenser,,a nest of tubes located within thev condensershell'and substantially surrounded by fluid delivery space, whichcommunicates with the. fluid inlet :of the shell, baffies arrangedwithin said nest to form; converging fluid passages through the .nestwhich communicatewith sand space,

and a noncondensable fluidlofitake. having its inletwvell within, thenest of tubes and substantially at the point of convergence of saidpassages. I

5.In a condenser, awnestio f cooling elements, ,a-non-condensable fluidofitake port located; within thenest of cooling elements nearthe pointof conyergence ofthe normal paths of flow of fiuidtobe condensed, and

bafiles extending through said. nest from .a

point ad acent, to, the l .no'nseondensable fluid fi lsr n 6. In aeondenser,a Sll6ll,{t nest of tubes within said shell "and having a stemspace substantially surrounding said nest oftube's, an air offtakelocated well within the nest of tubes, and baflles radiating through thenest from a point adjacent to the air offtake. r

7. In combination in a condenser, a shell having an inlet and acondensate outlet, a nest of tubes so located within the shell asto'provide a steam'space substantially surrounding the nest of tubes butdecreasing in cross sectional area toward the condensate outlet, an airofftake located well within the nest of tubes, and baflles extendingfrom the periphery of the nest inwardly toward the air oilta-ke fordividing the nest into segmental sections.

8. In combination with a condenser, a shell having an inlet port locatedon the upper side thereof, and a condensate discharge portlocated on thelower side thereof, a nest of tubes so located within the shell as toprovide a steam space communieating with the inlet port and extendingsubstantially around the nest of tubes but decreasing in area toward thecondensate discharge port, baffles arranged within said nest so as toprovide convergent fluid passages which communicate with the steam spaceand an air ofltake having its inlet well within the nest of tubes andsubstantially at the point of convergence of said passages.

9. In combination in a condenser, a shell having an inlet port formedtherein, a nest of tubes so located within the shell as to provide asteam space between the nest and shell which communicates with theinlet, an air off-take having its inlet well within the nest of tubes,and baflies located within the nest of tubes and so arranged as todeliver condensate into said steam space and to deliver non-condensablegases to said air off-take.

10. In combination in a condenser, a shell having an inlet port formedthere-in, a nest of tubes located within said shell so as to form asteam space communicating with said inlet, an air oil-take having itsinlet well within the nest of tubes, baflies located within said nest,so arranged that condensate collected on all the baflles is caused topass through a portion of said steam space and that non-con'densablegases are directed to said air off-take.

11. In a condenser, a shell, a nest of tubes, and condensate bafileswithin the nest an air oiftake within the nest of tubes, and

condensate baflles within the nest of tubes arranged in the directioncorresponding to the natural path of steam flow from the steam space tothe air offtake and adapted to collect condensate and discharge it intothe steam space.

14;. In a radial flow condenser, the combination of a shell, a nest oftubes within the shell and eccentrically related thereto in order todefine a crescent-shaped steam space between the tube nest and theshell, air offtake means extending within the nest of tubes, and baflleplates radiating from the region of the inlet of the ofi'take means anddefining converging passages for condensable and non-condensable fluids.

15. In a radial flow condenser, the combination of a substantiallyoylindlricallyshaped shell, an eccentric nest of tubes therein anddefining with the shell a crescent-shaped steam space, air offtake meansextending within the nest of tubes, and bafile plates arranged betweenthe tubes and extending from the region of the inlet of the air ofitakemeans, said: bafiles adapted to discharge sheets of condensate throughwhich some of the condensable and noncondensable fluids must flow.

16. In a radial flow condenser, the combination of a cylindricallyshapedshell, an eccentric nest of tubes therein defining with the shell acrescent-shaped steam space, air ofl'take means entering the nest oftubes, baffle plates radiating from the region of the inlet of the airofi'take means and dividing the nest of tubes into converging groups,the upper baffles converging toward the inlet of the air oiltake meansand adapted to discharge sheets of condensate on the bafile platesdiverging from said air inlet whereby the temperature of the air islowcred before its withdrawal.

17. In a radial flow condenser, the combination of a substantiallycylindricallyshaped shell, a nest of tubes eccentrically disposedtherein to define with the shell a crescent-shaped steam space, airofftake means extending within the nest of tubes, a pair of baiiieplates extending within the tubes and with their lower edges below theinlet of the air ofi'take means and defining converging condensate shedsurfaces, a pair of baffle plates below the first pair and havingdiverging shed surfaces adapted to receive condensate from the surfacesof the first pair whereby air is cooled before entering the outletmeans, another pair of bafile plates arranged between the upper pair and1:0

the lower pair andhaving diverging conlntestimony; whereof, I have:hereunto densate shed surfaces whereby condensate subscribed my namethis 29th day of Sepis discharged at the outei'1 edges, the contember,1917. Q densate dischar 'ed rom t e outer ed es of i w v 5 theintermediat pair of baffies and the lower RAYMOND pair of bafliesadapted to form sheets of Witness: 7 i

condensate to assist in cendensation of steam. G. W. MCGHEE.

